An ambulance passes in the middle of a protest site in Hapur, Uttar Pradesh
New Delhi:
The nationwide call for a Bharat Bandh against the government’s new agricultural laws has seen protesters blocking roads in several states.
On the Chandigarh-Ambala highway, Congressional workers have been protesting in the middle of the streets, lying on the road amid loud slogans, shows videos. Police officers are seen around the protesters, possibly asking them to move to let the vehicles pass.
In neighboring Uttar Pradesh, protesters can be seen making way for an ambulance at a protest site. “Ambulance hai, koi baat nahi. Nikalne do (It’s an ambulance, no problem. Let it pass), “protesters are heard saying as they let an ambulance pass in Hapur state district.
#BharatBandh | Traffic disrupted, congressional workers protest in the middle of the Chandigarh-Ambala highway along with strong slogans
NDTV’s Mohammed Ghazali shares this video pic.twitter.com/dhA9jS772F
– NDTV (@ndtv) December 8, 2020
Police in Delhi and Haryana, where a large number of farmers have set up camp amid police barricades, have issued traffic warnings. The protesters have emphasized that this will be a “peaceful protest” and that emergency services such as ambulances will not be stopped. Opposition parties, including Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party, have backed the protest call.
#BharatBandh | “Ambulance hai, koi baat nahi. Nikalne, yes,” protesters can be heard saying in this video as they allow an ambulance to pass through an otherwise blocked road in Hapur, Uttar Pradesh.
Video via Alok Pandey from NDTV | #farmersprotestpic.twitter.com/sIMJuKpQMY
– NDTV (@ndtv) December 8, 2020
The videos show two faces of the powerful protests that have rocked the country. Thousands of farmers have been protesting for more than 11 days at four busy entry points to Delhi demanding the removal of the new farm laws.
Five rounds of meetings, the sixth being tomorrow, failed to break the deadlock between the government and farmers who insist on nothing less than the total elimination of the new laws.
Union Interior Minister Amit Shah has summoned farmers to dialogue tonight, one day before the sixth round of negotiations to end the massive and widespread protests against the controversial laws.
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